Palestine envoy thanks Anadolu for amplifying Gazans' voices

By Selen Valente Rasquinho

BRUSSELS (AA) – Amal Jadou Shakaa, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Belgium, the European Union and Luxembourg, thanked Anadolu for providing a platform to showcase the voices of Gazans enduring Israeli attacks through the Istanbul Photo Awards exhibition in the heart of the EU.

The exhibition poignantly depicts Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and the devastation in Gaza, Jadou shared with Anadolu during the event in Brussels.

"My feelings are feelings of horror, tremendous sadness, anger, frustration. Feelings of helplessness because of everything that is happening to my people in Gaza and the genocide against them," she said.

- 'Photo that breaks my heart'

Jadou also expressed deep appreciation for Palestinian journalist Mohammed Salem's award-winning photograph "A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece."

Calling it "a photo that breaks my heart," she said: "So many images like this in Palestine, in Gaza, in the West Bank and all over Palestine are basically tragic, and this is one of them."

Israel's ongoing and destructive offensive on Gaza has persisted since October of last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

According to local health authorities, more than 43,800 people have been killed, the majority of them women and children, with over 103,600 injured.

-Istanbul Photo Awards 2024 exhibition

This year's Istanbul Photo Awards, organized by Anadolu, received over 20,000 submissions, with photographs evaluated across categories such as news, sports, environment, portrait and daily life.

A total of 32 photographers were awarded prizes across 10 categories.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel